Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) scaffolds: processing, structural characteristics and cellular responses

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) is a biodegradable copolyester with desirable mechanical and thermal properties.
• Limited research exists on PBAT's direct application in medical fields, particularly for bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the processability of neat PBAT as a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.
• To investigate the influence of different fabrication methods on PBAT scaffold characteristics and cellular responses.

Main Methods:

• PBAT scaffolds were fabricated using solvent evaporation, electrospinning, solvent casting-particulate leaching (SCPL), and melt molding-particulate leaching.
• Physicochemical characterizations and cell culture studies using MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were performed.

Main Results:

• Neat PBAT demonstrated favorable characteristics for bone tissue engineering applications.
• Fabrication method critically impacted cellular responses to the PBAT scaffolds.
• Scaffolds produced via SCPL and electrospinning exhibited promising results in cell culture studies.

Conclusions:

• PBAT is a viable candidate for bone tissue engineering scaffolds.
• SCPL and electrospinning are recommended fabrication methods for developing PBAT-based bone tissue engineering scaffolds due to enhanced cellular compatibility.